Nostalgia: Rembering your first new car

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My first new car? It was a 1990 Toyota 4Runner 4cyl. The 22RE 4cyl a tough engine, but it was weak in this heavy truck. Traded it in for a used 6 cylinder 1990 4Runner.
 
My first car was an 1987 Cavalier RS....not very fast (100hp), but it handled very well for a little car. Loved it's sunroof and "sportier" look....

Had to retire it after 10 years of faithful service.....great car.


First new was a 2000 S-10 4.3. Might still have it if the dealership had not screwed me over.....
 
My first new car was a 1974 Camaro Z28. Burgandy, black interior, stripe delete, T400, 3.73 posi, spoilers, AM/FM stereo.

My girlfriend (now my wife) picked it off the lot at Butler Chevrolet in Lowell, Mass.

Traded is a mint 1971 Charger R/T.......
 
Mine was a 1986 Buick Skyhawk Sport Coupe. It was a hatchback. Had the hideaway lights, 1.8 Turbo engine, 3 speed auto. Thing was pretty quick but rusted out really fast.
 
Originally Posted By: wirelessF
My first new car? It was a 1990 Toyota 4Runner 4cyl. The 22RE 4cyl a tough engine, but it was weak in this heavy truck. Traded it in for a used 6 cylinder 1990 4Runner.


That is more or less what my wife had. The AT would boil over on the steep hills of the USVI and it rusted out bad in the doors.

But the triangle windows and ride height was good.
 
Originally Posted By: Gunatics_Adler
Mine was a 1986 Buick Skyhawk Sport Coupe. It was a hatchback. Had the hideaway lights, 1.8 Turbo engine, 3 speed auto. Thing was pretty quick but rusted out really fast.


My first car was a 1985 Buick Skyhawk 4-door sedan. Two-tone blue, with a 2.0 OHV I-4, and a three-speed auto. Yes, I bought it on purpose - thought they were 'smart-looking' cars. As above, the door bottoms rusted really quickly on it.

Had nothing but problems with it, and after two years, traded it on a 1986 Honda Civic HB. That started a 10-year run for me with import cars; before buying another J-car, my 2002 Cavalier.

My '02 is MUCH better than my '85! :P :P :P
 
Yeah my 86 went through one transmission, one turbo, one head, and one motor. All in a year. It was zippy, but it was awful in quality. My second car was my 70 Nova SS that I still own.
 
My first new car was a 1993 S-10 4x4 that I kept for five years and 54,000 miles and traded it in on a 1998 chevy Z71 which I still have today with 115,000 miles on it. I also still have my second car I ever owned. A 1970 Monte Carlo. I bought it in 1987 while I was in college.

Wayne
 
First NEW one was a "Black Cat" (black with gold pinstripes & wheels) L-M Capri (1976).
It had the Cologne OHV 2.8 V-6 with a 2 bbl. Weber carb, and a 4 speed manual (did not and still do not know the manufacturer of the gearbox?), sunroof, AM-FM 8 track, but NO; air, power windows/locks/seats/etc.
I think I paid ~ $4200.00 for it.
Drove this thing all over the world (5 round trips to school in Tucson & much more), modded it, and even autocrossed it.
Sold it to my brother with almost 200K miles on it.
 
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
First NEW one was a "Black Cat" (black with gold pinstripes & wheels) L-M Capri (1976).
It had the Cologne OHV 2.8 V-6 with a 2 bbl. Weber carb, and a 4 speed manual (did not and still do not know the manufacturer of the gearbox?), sunroof, AM-FM 8 track, but NO; air, power windows/locks/seats/etc.
I think I paid ~ $4200.00 for it.
Drove this thing all over the world (5 round trips to school in Tucson & much more), modded it, and even autocrossed it.
Sold it to my brother with almost 200K miles on it.


The 1970's European Capri's were great cars - much better than the American 'Mustang II' that Ford peddled, when compared directly. Not suprised you got a lot of miles out of it - rust was it's only really serious enemy.......
 
My first car and first new car was a 1994 Ford Ranger XLT. I totaled the truck in 1997 after a date around 230 am. I probably had 5 hours a sleep the three days prior. I was working 30 hours a week, going to college full time, and juggling too many women. After the wreck, I had no ride for 3 months. it really cramped my style
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1981 Toyota Corolla 4door sedan. The seats were so uncomfortable I could only stand to keep it for a few months before getting what I should have gotten in the first place. A 1982 RX-7 GS charcol grey. 5 speed. Wonderful car. Never forget going to the dealership in another state to pick it up and there it was sitting right out front all cleaned up and ready to go. Gorgeous. Like that feeling you got seeing your future wife smile at you for the first time. Before it all went to h#%l and the fighting started.
 
"new" to me was a 1975 Datsun B210 Hatchback. Great car. Survived the heat and humidity of Guam for a number of years. Actually first paid for new car...1990 Cutlass Ciera with the 3.3l V6 and 4 speed automatic. This car was freakin' great. Only problem I had was the dreaded intake manifold, which got fixed under warranty. Great gas milage when the overdrive kicked in. Could cruise about 70 at 1800 rpm and had the torque not to shift in and out of gears when going up hills in Tennessee. Sold in 05 with 210K on the odometer. Saw it about a year later, still running. Should have kept her.
 
First new car was a 1965 Mustang, Poppy Red, 3-speed stick, with the 200 6-cyl. Price with tax, title, and tags was right around $2,600.00 best I remember.
 
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My first purchased new car was a 1971 Ford Bronco with a 302 V8. It had a manual transmission with three on the tree. I believe that the total cost with city sticker, tags and taxes was ~$3,100. Some notable features:

- Warn Hubs (with the red turn-lock insert)
- Optional, second switchable gas tank
- Skid plates
- L series 15" passenger tires
- Wing vent windows; no A/C available
- no cost, optional oil bath air cleaner
- AM radio
- optional fiberboard headliner
- manual throttle (option for a few dollars)
- power take-off from the transfer case (again, an option for a few dollars)
- two tone; a beautiful "mallard green" (not metallic) bottom with a white metal top...it looked like a darker version of British Racing Green
- HD radiator and battery
- lift gate with a real tail gate
- painted (white) steel bumpers with a bottle screw jack...go figure!
- real gauges, but no tach
- a genuine Ford shop manual for a few bucks ordered by filling out a tear out form from the owners manual
- and some more I can't recall just now...

My wife and I camped the previous year for our honeymoon in Wyoming and Utah and decided that the Bronco would be an excellent replacement for our '63 Ford Galaxie 500. The Bronco proved useful for winter driving back home.

As an aside, I wish that modern SUVs had lockable hubs to save on gas mileage when 4WD is not needed...
 
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